The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-07-30
NOT AN ARTICLE OF FOOD.

Alcohol Beverages and Their Eject OH
Health-ENperi ence and Science Alike
Condemn Them.
We are glad to note that the various
books on Hygiene recently prepared
for use in schools and in homes, give
no uncertain testimony as 70 the evils
arising even from the moderate use of
alcohol. We quote as follows, from a
book on THE Principles of Hygiene, ~
recently published by Ivison & Co., N.
Y:
sit can be said Of all alcoholic
liquors, that there is nothing in them
so desirable as to make it worth while
to use them unless it can be shown
that the alcohol is needed. When we
come to study the relation of alcohol
to foods, first of all we are impressed
by the fact that it is not found in
nature, as are such foods as are essen
tial for the maintenance of life and
health. No analysis of foods ever
finds it present in them as an article to
be taken into the human system. If it
had any such food value as was once
claimed for it, this omission would
have been most surprising one.
When we turn to the physiology of d.
gestion, and of the appropriation OF
foods in the system, we find nothing
whatever to indicate thatit was ever in
tended to be used by mankind as food.
Every advance in chemistry, and in
the knowledge of the relations of food
to human force and vitality, has been
an advance away from the recognition
of alcohol. Such authorities as Liebie,
Moleschott, Pettenkofcr, Volt, KONG,
Beneke, Meinert, Payen. Frankland,
Playfair, Lewes, Smith, Parks, Pres
colt, Nichols and Atwater give it no
place in any standard daily rations.
Before chemistry assigned alcohol
its proper place, experience had classed
it among the toXics. Persons affected
by it were not said to be fed over much,
but to be intoxicated. Toxic is the
Greek word for poison. We can turn
to no book to-day, in chemistry or hy-
giene, and find it treated among the
articles of food. If we have regard to
the convenient division of nitrooenized
or flesh-forming foods, we soon find
that 1t has no nitrogen, and therefore
can not be arrayed in this class. If
we look for it among the -produc-
ing foods, we find that it does not re-
spond to the laws of animal combus-
ton, either by producing force or in
creasing heat. Notwithstanding the
sensation of heat produced by its con-
tact with the digestive track, or from
other causes, the thermometer and
other tests show that it produces a
slight reduction of temperature.
"ln common with opium, Choral
hasheesh and some other stimulants,
narcotics or nervines, alcohol has
some temporary action where there
has been breach of natural law by
which the system has been thrown into
an abnormal condition. By such mo-
mentary effect these steal their way
into recognition so as to have been
called deceptive foods. They create a
habit which is interpreted by the will
ing subject into demand.
LAS rule, the serious fact in refer
ence to alcohol is that it intcrferes with
nutrition. 1t not only lacks food value
of its own, but 1t detracts from the
value of real foods. 1t so affects the
organs which have to do with the as
simi!ation and distribution of food,
that shey are incapacitated for or are
disturbed in the performance of their
functions.
an addition to this it has been
shown that so-called moderate drink
ers eventually have impairment of the
vital acts of digestion, and that the
stomach. the liver, the intestines and
the kidneys register effects which are
prejudicial to health and long life.